Weekly Roundup: Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash Roll Out Short-Term Gas Relief That Leaves Many Drivers Unsatisfied

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash roll out short-term gas relief programs. Waymo hits 500,000 driverless rides per week. Luxury chauffeur app Wheely launches in New York City, taking aim at Uber and Lyft’s high-end push. Uber expands its NYC office to nearly 500,000 square feet. Uber pours $30 million into a California ballot measure that could restrict crash victims’ access to lawyers. We break it all down for you.

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash Roll Out Short-Term Gas Relief That Leaves Many Drivers Unsatisfied

Source: Business Insider

Soaring gas prices tied to the war in the Middle East have pushed Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to launch temporary relief programs that offer mileage-based weekly payments and stacked fuel discounts, often through company-branded debit cards and Upside. The programs can save select drivers roughly $0.98 to $1.90 per gallon for a limited window, but driver advocates say the incentives are mostly symbolic and do not fully offset mounting fuel costs.

• Uber drivers and couriers can stack up to $1/gal cashback via Upside, Shell discounts, and 15% off with the Uber Pro debit card (status-based), plus $5–$15 weekly mileage payments for delivery workers through early May, for up to $1.44/gal in savings.

• DoorDash offers drivers who log at least 125 miles/week fuel relief payments of $5–$15 plus 10% gas cashback via its Crimson debit card, with total potential savings up to $1.90/gal through April 26.

• Lyft’s program offers 1–2% gas cashback on Gold/Platinum/Elite tiers via Lyft Direct, plus $0.14/gal and $5 off a fill-up via Upside through May 26, for up to $0.98/gal in savings—benefits that largely favor already high-status drivers.

Waymo Doubles to 500,000 Weekly Robotaxi Rides as It Expands to 10 U.S. Cities

Source: Inside EVs

Waymo now delivers 500,000 paid driverless rides per week in the U.S., doubling its weekly ridership in under a year after first hitting 250,000 rides per week last April. The Alphabet-owned robotaxi operator has scaled from three commercial markets in early 2025 to 10 today, adding Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, and is targeting 1 million weekly rides by year-end.

• Waymo lists 21 “Up Next” cities, including New York, Chicago, and London, and plans to integrate Zeekr vans and Hyundai Ioniq 5s alongside its aging Jaguar I-Pace fleet to support continued scale-up.

• Competitors lag significantly: Zoox remains in limited pilots in Las Vegas and San Francisco, while Tesla’s robotaxi operations are confined to Austin and the Bay Area with only a small subset of vehicles operating without a human safety backstop.

• For human drivers, this scale-up signals growing long-term competitive pressure, raising questions about how quickly robotaxis are displacing traditional rideshare demand.

Luxury Chauffeur App Wheely Enters NYC, Chasing High-End Riders and Corporate Clients

Source: Bloomberg (Paywall free)

London-based luxury ride-hailing app Wheely has launched in New York City, bringing its chauffeur-focused model for business elites to the U.S. and directly targeting the premium segment that Uber and Lyft are also chasing. Wheely, which generated $26.7 million in revenue and roughly $322,000 in profit in 2024, plans to scale to more than 1,000 NYC chauffeurs within two years and is eyeing expansion into Texas, Washington DC, Miami, and Palm Beach.

• Wheely works with independent contractors and vetted fleets, focusing on standardized luxury vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Cadillac Escalade, and Chevy Suburban, with no dashcams to emphasize passenger privacy; fares are flat time-and-distance based, not dynamically priced.

• Drivers must complete a three-day in-house Chauffeur Academy covering first aid and luxury etiquette, sign strict NDAs, and adhere to a confidentiality policy that prohibits asking famous clients for selfies.

• As Uber launches “Uber Elite” and Lyft leverages its ~$110M acquisition of TBR Global Chauffeuring, NYC’s premium segment is getting crowded, but also opening higher-margin opportunities for top-rated drivers who can meet luxury standards.

Uber Makes NYC Its Largest Office Hub Outside SF Amid Return-to-Office Mandate

Source: Bloomberg (Paywall free)

Uber is expanding its New York City offices at 3 World Trade Center to 11 floors and nearly 500,000 square feet, supporting a local headcount that has grown from about 800 pre-pandemic to more than 2,000 employees. The build-out follows CEO Dara Khosrowshahi’s relocation to New York and a three-day-per-week in-office mandate that went into effect last June, shifting hiring momentum decisively toward NYC.

• LinkedIn data analysis shows NYC staff grew roughly 17% year-over-year through October 2024, with particular strength in managerial, sales, and marketing roles, while headcount declined in Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Georgia over the same period.

• Uber is tightening remote-work approvals for workers within 50 miles of an office; globally, the company has about 34,000 employees across 70+ countries, with its approximately 10 million drivers classified mostly as independent contractors.

• Uber is also committing $7 million to NYC education and cultural programs, including computer science training for public school teachers and support for the Perelman Performing Arts Center, deepening its community and political ties in a key regulatory market.

Uber Pours Tens of Millions Into Liability Ballot Fights

Source: Lever News

Uber is bankrolling a sweeping liability-reform push, including more than $30 million for a California ballot measure that would cap attorneys’ and medical providers’ share of crash settlements at 25%. Critics warn the measure will make contingency cases uneconomical, effectively restricting crash victims’ access to legal representation even as Uber faces thousands of sexual assault and injury lawsuits.

• Consumer advocacy groups, including Consumer Watchdog and the Consumer Attorneys of California, have assembled a $55 million war chest to fight the California measure; similar Uber-backed efforts in Nevada were blocked by the state supreme court, and an Indiana bill died in committee.

• Uber is pursuing related liability limits in Florida (lower between-trip insurance requirements) and New York, where Gov. Hochul has proposed a crash-settlement cap backed by Uber, which has directed $3 million to a PAC supporting her 2026 reelection campaign.

QUICK HITS

• Sen. Ruben Gallego is asking the IRS to increase the business deduction for vehicle mileage. – Business Insider

• Tesla admitted its Robotaxi service still relies on both in-car human drivers and domestic remote operators to function. – Electrek

• Want to learn more about the robotaxi industry? Subscribe to The Driverless Digest, our new newsletter and podcast dedicated to the future of autonomous vehicles.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

• RSG268: Uber’s NEXT Big Move? Taxis!

• Uber Is CUTTING Pay When Riders Add Stops?!

• Did Lyft STEAL $80 From This Driver?!

• The 80/20 Pay Split Could Be Coming Back… Here’s Why

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